CLARKSVILLE, TN – A newly formed middle school track and field team made history this season, earning state-level success and bringing recognition to student-athletes from across Montgomery County.
For years, the Middle School Track and Field Championship has been held at Austin Peay State University, yet local middle schools had little to no representation at the event. That changed this year when Coach Christina Webb established a co-opted middle school track team under the Northeast Middle School umbrella. The team united 45 boys and girls from Northeast, Kenwood, Rossview, New Providence, and Montgomery Central Middle Schools.
The program’s inaugural season proved to be a remarkable success. With the support of volunteer coaches Tommie Chapman, John Tower, Solomon Duanah, and Robert Haynes, student-athletes trained daily and earned qualification for the TSSAA Class AAA State Middle School Track and Field Championship Meet in multiple events, including the girls’ Shot Put, 4×200-meter relay, and 4×400-meter relay.
On May 18, the team traveled to Knoxville to compete against some of the top middle school athletes from across Tennessee.
Among the state qualifiers was Jayda Phillips of Northeast Middle School, who competed in the girls’ Shot Put. Notably, Phillips was one of only four seventh-grade athletes among the 16 competitors in the event.
The girls’ 4×200-meter relay team featured Allisyn Hill, Mariyah Evans, and Jazaniya Price of Northeast Middle School, along with Amaya Williams of Kenwood Middle School. Their qualification alone marked a significant achievement for the newly established program.
The team’s greatest accomplishment came in the girls’ 4×400-meter relay, where the quartet of Acquese Marshall (New Providence), Morgan Chapman (Kenwood), Jazaniya Price (Northeast), and Sadie Pegram (Montgomery Central) delivered an outstanding performance to earn second place in the state.